Senior commissioner appointed as new LOCSU chief operating officer

Richard Whittington

Richard Whittington

LOCSU has announced that Richard Whittington, former clinical commissioning group director, has been appointed as the new chief operating officer. Mr Whittington, who joined LOCSU in the summer as assistant director, commissioning, will take up the new post with immediate effect.

The new chief operating officer role was created following the recent news that current managing director, Katrina Venerus, will at the same time move into a new part-time role as clinical director to allow her to fulfil her long-held ambition to complete an MSc in healthcare leadership as part of her professional development.

Announcing the appointment, LOCSU chairman, Alan Tinger, said: “I am delighted that we have been able to appoint Richard as the first Chief Operating Officer of LOCSU. With his specialist knowledge of commissioning and service redesign, having worked at a senior level in NHS commissioning, Richard possesses the specific skills and practical experience that will help us make progress on our strategic aim to increase the pace and scale of eye health services and take out some of the strain on hospital capacity. In the short time he has been with LOCSU he has shown that he is the ideal candidate to take LOCSU forward and help us deliver the Breakthrough Strategy. This really is great news for the sector and for patients who will see the benefits of more optical practices becoming the first port of call for all eye health matters. Richard will benefit from the support of Katrina Venerus who has led LOCSU magnificently in the past four years as MD. Her new role as clinical director means that LOCSU has continuity and a formidable top team to drive progress and deliver success.”